It’s no secret that I love my job. I started managing internal communications for a company that I love back in January and there are days that I still can’t believe this is what I get to do. I’ve also shared my very non-linear career path with you, but I thought I’d focus on more of the how I got to my latest adventure. As in — how long did it take me to find this job? And when is the best time to look?

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The reality is that your job search could take a few weeks or it could take a few months. Both James and I moved to New York City without jobs. For me, it took about one and half months to land my first job. For James, it took him nearly four excruciating months to get hired. Both opportunities were our first gigs after grad school and considering we had just moved to one of the most expensive cities in the country, there was a heightened sense of urgency to land something — anything. I set up tons of coffee chats with college alum. I applied to anything and everything, including unpaid internships in the city and even an hour outside in Flushing Queens.

That said, my first job was far from my dream job. I did marketing and communications for a few industry associations (like professional organizations you join to network with others to get their business). I didn’t even see it as a place I wanted to stay for more than a year, let alone even consider it a career. Within a few months of settling in, I already was looking for a new job — afterall, I had moved to New York with the goal of working in the fashion industry. It took me an entire year to make that move. I submitted dozens and dozens of applications to places like Refinery29, Conde Nast and other publications. I even had a few interviews, but sadly nothing panned out, most likely because editorial fashion is one of the hardest industries to break into. So I switched my focus into internal communications and found the perfect job for me then at ANN INC., the company behind Ann Taylor, LOFT and Lou & Grey. Nearly an entire year and half of working at a job I hated, patiently and persistently applying to other jobs, finally paid off.

Working at ANN was a dream — I got to flex my creativity, was exposed to the business side of the retail industry and worked with a tight-knit team that I really love. But by second year, I started to get the feeling that there wasn’t a growth opportunity for me there and I started to casually search again. This time, my job search felt a lot different from when I moved to New York and from when I was trying to desperately escape my first job. I wasn’t in a rush. I had the luxury of being a job that I actually enjoyed, which allowed me to really reflect and be picky about what my next move would be. That’s why it took me an entire year to land at JetBlue. During that time, I only applied to one otherjob — an internal communications role with Spotify (who I never ended hearing back from). It’s a stark contrast from my two prior experiences, right?

If you’re in a position to take your time with your job search, do it. Be patient, persistent and picky. You’re more likely to find a job that you actually love, instead of one that you’ll resent. Unfortunately, you might not always have that opportunity, especially if you’re right out of college. They you’ve got to start somewhere. Well, once you’re there, your next move will be up to you.